Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a weight balance structure of a dishwasher, more particularly, to a shape and structure of a weight balance which supports a case from falling down or tumbling when a door is open and closed. Generally, a dishwasher is the apparatus configured to remove food scraps which remains on dishes or cooking tools (hereinafter, washing objects) using the wash water injected from an injection nozzle.
A conventional dishwasher includes a tub in which a washing tank is formed and a sump mounted in a bottom surface of the tub to store washing water. The washing water is supplied to an injection nozzle by the pumping performance of a washing pump mounted in the sump and the washing water supplied to the injection nozzle is injected at a high pressure via an injection hole formed in an end of the injection nozzle. The washing water injected at the high pressure is hit against surfaces of dishes and contaminants such as food scraps remaining on dishes then fall down to a bottom of the tub.
Meanwhile, a weight balance is mounted to a rear portion of a top surface of the tub in the conventional dishwasher to prevent the dishwasher from falling down in a state where the door is open completely. In other words, the weight balance having a preset weight is mounted to a rear portion of the tub so as to damp the moment causing the falling-down of the dishwasher so that the dishwasher can be balanced.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective diagram schematically illustrating the exterior appearance of the conventional dishwasher in which such a weight balance is mounted.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional dishwasher 1 includes a tub 200 having a washing tank formed therein; and a weight balance 600 mounted in a rear top surface 210 of the tub 200.
The weight balance 600 consists of a body unit 610 coupled to the rear top surface 210 of the tub and a top cover guide 650 coupled to a rear lateral surface 220 of the tub.
A cabinet (not shown) is secured to an outer circumferential surface of the top cover guide 650 and a certain space is then formed between the tub 200 and the cabinet 100.
However, if the conventional dishwasher happens to tumble horizontally while moved from a production line to a transporting vehicle or carried in a transporting vehicle, quite an external shock is applied to a lateral panel 130 in contact with the top cover guide 650.
Accordingly, there might be certain stabbed portion or scratch caused in the lateral panel 130 by the top cover guide 650 and there are frequent consumers' demands for returns and exchanges.
The current trend is toward the maximized volume of the tub without increasing the overall size of the dishwasher. The thickness of the top cover guide 650 has to be reduced as much as possible to maximize the volume of the tub 200 without changing the size of the exterior appearance of the dishwasher.
Moreover, if the conventional dishwasher is turned over or falling down on the face or forward during the transportation process, the top panel 120 is likely to be separated from the top piece 210 of the tub or shaken horizontally by the external shock.